Re: Striped Bass Size Limits
This is a tough one. The number of spawning female fish is far below the threshold set in the Striped Bass Restoration Act. It’s past a slot limit. That would have been a great option three through five years ago when the fishery started to decline. The latest stock assessment data is up on the NOAA site. The fishery needs “fish.” I know that sounds simple, but the small fish are not making it to maturity. The attachments will show what is taking place. We need to give the fish a break for a few years ie let them swim. The irony here is that the ASMFC and NOAA both worked to make this fishery what it was in the late 90’s up until 2011 when things started to go south, however there was no stopgap to prevent what happened in the last three years.
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